Birth of the Striders
by SniperDave
Summary: Out in the midddle of the Atlantic Ocean, a new creature is being created. The Striders. Complete.


I don't own Resident Evil or any characters or monsters related to it. The Strider was created by Derailed Software for 'Resident Evil: The Escape', a Half-Life total conversion. This story is an unofficial account of they were created.  
  
Birth of the Striders  
  
"We're pulling into the surface level of Atlantis now sir." The Ocean was calm that night, with hardly any wind in the air and no storm clouds in sight. The ship continued over the small waves towards the large chunk of metal sticking out of the water. It looked like an oil rig. However, this was no oil rig. This was Atlantis. Atlantis, Umbrella's new underwater research facility was situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, right out of the way of everything. It was comprised of nine levels, the first on the surface and the others underwater. The facility was constructed to specialise in aquatic Bows (Biological Weapons). The first Neptune was created here, a more aggressive and violent variation on a shark. One was shipped to the Racoon City Mansion Facility, but was destroyed when the whole place exploded. "We have successfully docked with Atlantis Sir," said the Helmsman. Captain Thompson turned round and looked to the back of the bridge. The man in the suit that had come with them was already making his way up to the deck. Thompson followed him up; wanting to take a look around this place just as much as the Umbrella Executive he was following. They walked across the deck together and crossed the metal sheet that connected the ship to Atlantis. A man in a white jacket came towards them. "Hello Gentlemen, I'm Dr Roads, Head Biologist for the Atlantis facility. You must be Mr Smith," he said extending his hand out to shake the Executive's hand, "I will be showing you around our facility today and at the end of the tour we have scheduled a show of our new Bows combat abilities." Smith nodded, "Captain Thompson has expressed an interest in seeing the new Bows. He will be accompanying me on the tour while his crew load off your supplies." "Of course," replied Dr Roads, "Shall we begin then?" he asked, gesturing towards a lift behind him. The men nodded and got in the lift.  
  
The lift continued down past the first floor, then the second, the third finally coming to a stop at the forth. "The floors above are cargo storage, living quarters and recreational floors, nothing too interesting. I thought we'd just skip straight down to the forth, where the labs begin," explained Roads. The lift doors opened into a hallway. The walls were light grey with black writing on them, stating the name of each lab next to its door. A large observation window was placed next to each door so that people passing by could see what was going on without entering the lab an bothering the people working inside. The group walked forward towards the observation window on the left. "I'm afraid we can't actually enter this lab," Roads explained, "It's a clean room, it has to remain sterile. We also believe that by keeping this lab isolated we reduce the risk of T-virus infection elsewhere in the facility. This is the only lab where we actually infect the specimens." Smith and Captain Thompson looked into the room. It looked just like any other lab where tests we performed on animals. Up the back of the room was a large (about 9 or 10 feet long) tank of water. Inside the tank was a large shark, no, not a shark, a Neptune. "So, you're breeding Neptune here," stated Mr Smith sounding more than a little disappointed. "Not quite," responded Dr Roads, "We are actually taking the idea of the Neptune a step further." "I don't understand." "Neptune's were created using the standard T-virus that all the original monsters were created from. We have been working on creating a new strain specifically for sea monsters, like the old Neptune. The Neptune in the tank has just been administered the new strain," explained Roads. "I see. So what does this new virus do to a Neptune? Make it bigger?" asked Smith. "In a way. Let's get down to the fifth floor. That's where the infected Neptunes are kept for observation. The three men headed back to the lift and down to the fifth floor.  
  
As they stepped out of the lift on the fifth floor, Mr Smith and Captain Thompson realised that this floor was actually the second level of a large warehouse-like room. They were walking along a small, suspended walkway and below them was the sixth floor, which was covered with glass cylinders about 9 feet tall. Roads, once again, began his explanation, "This is what we call the nursery. This is where the Neptunes undergo their transformation. They are placed vertically into these tanks where they are kept for about a week or so," they came to a metal staircase which led them down to the sixth floor, "During which time they turn into this," he said, pointing at one of the tanks. "My god." whispered Thompson, stunned by the creature in the cylinder in front of him. Mr Smith said nothing. He was staring at the thing in the tank; nothing had impressed him this much since he first saw a Licker. The thing looked like a cross of a man and a shark, with sleek blue skin on its back and white on its belly. It had no neck; its head was just part of the main body. A large shark fin stuck out of the back of its head and where there were once fins, there were a pair of strong muscular arms. Its mouth was filled with rows of incredibly sharp teeth. "A man-shark," whispered Thompson. "More a shark-hunter really. It has been created as the perfect fusion of the aquatic Neptune and the terrifying land Hunter. This beast can attack on both land and in water and it's equally deadly in both," Roads corrected, "We have called it the ST4192, or the Strider." After a brief pause Roads continued, "Now if you would follow me down to the seventh floor, we have prepared a fight between one of the Striders and the two Hunters that were in your ships Cargo holds." Smith smiled at him, "If it is anywhere near as powerful as it is ugly then we are in for quite a show."  
  
The three men sat down in the chairs at the front of the observation room. Out of the bullet-proof glass in front of them they could see down to the eighth floor, a small plain arena with a barred door on either side. In one corner of the arena the floor dipped down to make a pool filled with murky water. "Ready?" asked Dr Roads. Both men nodded at him. Roads smiled and turned to one of the operators in the room who was seated behind a large control console. "Open the doors," he commanded. "Yes sir," the operator responded. The two barred doors slid up. Out of one came two dark green Hunters, their clawed feet clicking against the floor, their clawed hands hanging down near them. Out of the other came a single strider. Both Hunter's broke into a run at the sight of the Strider. They raised their claws in preparation for the kill. But the Strider got there first. Before the Hunters could leap into the air, The Strider leaped off its feet and dived for the floor, its wet body causing it to skid towards one of the Hunters with frightening speed. Just as the Hunter was about to leap into the air, the Strider's powerful jaws ripped a chunk out of the Hunters leg. There was a loud snap as the Hunter's leg bone was broken in three places. It fell to the floor, not dead but unable to move. The other Hunter landed in the empty space where the Strider had dived. As it span round the Strider crashed into it, knocking it back into the water. The Strider dived in after it. The water splashed and swirled from the struggle underneath, then went dead still. The water turned dark red. The Strider climbed out of the water. It had a deep cut in its left shoulder but apart from that (which didn't seem to bother it at all), it was fine. The upper-half of the Hunter it dragged out however, was quite dead. It walked back over to the crippled Hunter it took out first. The Hunter gave a few pathetic, futile swings of its claw before the Strider put it out of its misery, by sinking its teeth into its chest. Dr Roads looked at the two men he'd shown around Atlantis. The Captain looked like he was going to be sick. Mr Smith however, was overjoyed by the display of pure power. "Can you think of any uses for the Striders?" asked Roads. Mr Smith's thoughts turned to a small town where a new Umbrella facility had been opened under a Waterworks. "I could think of a few," he replied. 


End file.
